Celebrating the 113th birth anniversary of Mother Teresa, The Bengal Club’s library sub-committee screened documentary filmmaker and author Payal Mohanka’s award-winning film From Saint to Sainthood that rekindled memories of the Albanian nun who uplifted the poor and downtrodden in Calcutta and founded the Missionaries of Charity. The 23-minute film filled the room with a mix of emotions — while some felt the big void that was left behind after Mother’s demise, others felt a sense of pride for having worked with her and most of us felt blessed for getting to revisit her life and works.
The screening was followed by a lively discussion that ranged from Mohanka talking about her experience of making the documentary to the members of the audience sharing their time spent with the Mother and being part of her mission in small yet significant ways. The discussion, moderated by Prof Julie Mehta Banerjee, kicked off with Payal sharing the genesis of the deeply touching documentary. “My first encounter with Mother’s work was in 1990 when I did a cover story for a magazine and I spoke to a number of priests and sisters who worked there. Years later when she was beatified, I wanted to revisit the subject and make a film that would encompass her philosophy, the way she inspired young girls to join the order. There was a lot of conversation on miracles, canonization and beatification. And I wanted to encapsulate all this in the documentary. I thought there would be some clarity and focus on the work that she has done,” said Payal who has also authored a book, In The Shadows Unknown Craftsman. The documentary made in 2003 was screened at the Nehru Centre in London and was telecasted by Doordarshan and a private channel.
Taking over, Anju Munshi, an avid book club member, summed up the documentary as a cathartic and cleansing process. She said, “I think Mother mothered Bengal not without reason as women are revered here. It’s an all-women territory. There is a kind of selflessness that Mother has been able to circulate from one place in the world to the other. Mother is a moral compass to most of us.”
Julie also shared her experience of meeting with Mother in a leper colony and being moved by her thoughts on not wearing gloves while tending to them. “The gloves would be a barrier between him and me,” stated Julie recalling the exact words of Mother. Panellist Anasuya Pal met Mother when she was 14 years old and appreciating Payal for her documentary, she said, “In the structure of the documentary I was intrigued by the title From Saint to Sainthood. We have always seen her as a saint. Her mere touch was a miracle; she was a miracle. In much gravity, you have given us a nice overview of Mother Teresa and her life. I also liked the fact that you used Calcutta as the narrator.”
The title of the documentary rightly brought into discussion Bernard Shaw’s Saint Joan and commenting on it, Chaitali Moitra said, “Saint is much more in context than sainthood. And Payal has tried to capture this essence not just in the title but in the concluding lines of the film also. Establishing sainthood and the simplicity between Saint Joan and Mother Teresa exists in all saints that come to my mind. Sainthood is just a trajectory.”
The participation of the audience added to the conversation. A member shared her experience of working closely with the Mother, sharing insightful anecdotes that made the evening richer.